Walk In Their Shoes
by Audrey Bogart
Summary: You will never be able to break into their hearts if you are not able to walk in their shoes...' This is what happens to girls when they are peeved and high on sugar....
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: I do not own Cowboy Bebop.

**Walk In Their Shoes – The Rip Off**

Faye Valentine sipped at the orange soda topped with vanilla ice cream while she awaited Jet and Spike's arrival. They were supposed to have met her at the old fashioned soda shop an hour before but neither brute of a man had made an appearance, let alone made an effort to call her. So, like any peeved woman with money, she bought herself junk food. She had just begun to scoop out the delicious cream at the bottom when a loud beep from her communicator caused her to jump up in the ragged barstool.

"Yeah, what is it?" She had every reason to be pissed at this moment in time. Suppose she didn't have her gun and some strange man took advantage of her? Doubtful? Of course. She could handle any kind of man, but it was the point of the matter. The lazy voice of Spike echoed over the speaker and she braced herself for a rude call.

"Just checking up on you, Faye." She quirked an eyebrow and slid the metal spoon on to the other side of her tongue.

"Well if you and Jet had been here on time, you wouldn't have to check up on me, now would you?" She crossed her legs seductively and motioned the shop keeper to give her a refill.

"Possibly. But, in all honesty, we were truly worried about you." He was up to something, she just knew it. There was no reasonable explanation as to why or how Spike Spiegel could be worried about her.

"Yeah I find that hard to believe." She watched Spike lean back on whatever he was sitting on, which was more than likely the yellow couch, considering that's the only place his rear seemed comfortable these days.

"Which part – that i'm honest or that I was worried?" The violet haired vixen slammed her glass down, revealing the boiling anger that had yet to surface.

"That is IT! I'm going to go where no one can annoy me like you do!!"

"Please Faye, don't do me any favors." Faye hung up to the deep chuckles of her crew mate, and stormed out of the tiny soda shop.

There are times in people's lives that a person cannot explain with simple statements concerning science or history. They just happen. Some call it fate. Others call it luck. And there are even those who go out on a limb and claim that it was divine intervention. Whatever the cause, something led our dear Ms. Valentine to a small shop in the backstreets of town that sported a small wooden sign that, although worn and withered, could be read quite easily – 'Madame Zupotti's Fortune Telling'. And Faye, being the one for fate, luck, divine intervention, and all of the above, took the chance to buy some time and cool off while getting her fortune read. Kill two birds with one stone, right?

The place was musty and smelled of incense and cheap perfume. Only one room was shown to the public while the doorways and windows remained covered with silken strips of exotic colors. In the middle of the room sat a covered table with a glass orb perched atop it. Faye took cautious steps inside, accidentally bumping her head on one of the many windchimes and charms gracing the ceiling.

"Can I help you?" Emerald irises of alarm darted towards a young woman standing in-between a few of the magnificent draperies.

"Are you Madame Zupotti?" The woman nodded, raven ringlets shaking with the motion. "I'm here to get my fortune read." She smiled, strumming a small guitar on her way towards the table.

"Well then sit down, child." Faye did as she was told and gawked at the woman sitting across from her. Beautiful could not describe her. She was shorter than Faye but curvy in all the right places. Onyx rings graced the outline of olive colored skin, perfected by the red tint of her lip stick. Faye had seen a woman like this before, when she had run away from a bill collector once. There was a whole group of them and there were only a few differences among them. What were they called....? "Gypsies." Yes! That was it! Faye shook her head unconsciously, trying to regain her composure.

"How did....?" The woman pushed her pout lips together into the form of a smirk and began to rub at the glass ball.

"I'm a Romany, the last of my kind actually." Faye bit her bottom lip, recalling the time she had lied to Spike and Jet, saying she was a Romany in hopes they would let her off and not turn her in for a bounty. She could only pray that Madame Zupotti could see this in her mind as well. The gypsy cracked her knuckles and eyed Faye. "Well then, let's get started." Faye watched the woman fall into a trance, her once silver eyes turning upwards in her skull. "I see....a man. Green hair." Faye crossed her arms over her chest and huffed out loud.

"That would be Spike."

"Spiegel." Faye popped up when the young woman spoke his last name. "You're fond of him, no? You wish to capture his attention as well as other things but are afraid of remaining nothing more than a cheating Jezebel in his eyes. "Faye relaxed, letting a single chunk of orchid hair to fall freely into her vision.

"Please. I would NEVER have a thing for Spike." The Romany paused for a moment, lecturing Faye with a single gaze before returning to her trance.

"There is another man. He was....in an accident of some sort. Both male figures care deeply for you although they hide it well. There is also a child involved – ooh. I won't get involved with that mind." Faye twirled the piece of hair around her finger until the skin matched the hair color.

"I thought you were supposed to tell me my future, not gibberish." Madame Zupotti squinted and sucked in a deep breath.

"You will never be able to break into their hearts if you are not able to walk in their shoes." Faye opened her mouth to speak, only to be shut up by the mysterious cold breeze tickling the numerous wind chimes. Funny, but Faye could've sworn that the door had shut behind her.

"What do you me-"

"That will be 12,000 woolongs for my services." Faye's eyes widened as the gypsy opened up her palm and stretched out her hand.

"12,000 woolongs!!? You have GOT to be kidding me!!"

After five minutes of Faye rambling with the gypsy over how the charade was a rip off, the bounty huntress left the tiny store just as the Jupiter sunset began to fall. Now, most girls would be alert and ready for action. But most girls are not Faye. Most girls do not gulp down three orange soda floats and then debate cost issues with a Romany. So, it did not occur to Faye to duck when she heard her comrade yell out the word. And it did not occur to her that there were people would knock you upside the head in order to steal the little bit of money you have. And it certainly didn't occur to her that so much pain could be involved. But as she fell into the darkness the pain had brought on, she could faintly hear the sound of that annoying voice that she had tried to get away from in the first place.

"Faye....hey Faye.....can you hear me? Dammit! Open your eyes!!"

"You will never be able to break into their hearts if you are not able to walk into their shoes....."


	2. These Boots Are Made For Walkin'

Disclaimer: I do not own Cowboy Bebop. Nor do I own the song 'These Boots Are Made For Walkin'.'

**Walk In Their Shoes – These Boots Are Made For Walkin'**

"She's not waking up, Jet."

"Well if you hadn't insisted on taking your time to get to her, then perhaps we could've actually stopped the man who mugged her and took her shoes."

"Are you insinuating that it is MY fault that Faye got her shoes stolen? If you remember correctly, I was the one who fought him off." 'But my shoes were still stolen.'

Faye shook off the fact that Jet was indeed right concerning the situation only hours before. If the two lunkheads had been on time, Faye would have never ventured out and found the strange fortune teller, only to be mugged by some random loser. But it wasn't the fact that Jet was right, or Spike had defended her, it was the fact that bastard had taken her shoes! Every woman has something dear to them – an expensive dress they bought for themselves after a hard breakup, a pearl necklace they received from a deceased relative which gave them the right to gloat in front of the sibling who didn't get it, or a rare shade of lipstick that caused the meeting between them and the love of their life. In Faye's case, it was a pair of white boots that had saved her rear in more than one occasion. It had started with a simple gesture from a nurse that worked in the cryogenic hall of the hospital. Upon meeting Faye, the two became fast friends and the nurse repeatedly told Faye to take a look at some local store when she got out. Faye did so and spotted the ivory boots in the back of the store beside a leather skirt and skin tight jeans. However, Faye had no money and pondered the idea of her morality. Could she really steal the boots? They seemed to be calling to her though, and she couldn't resist the temptation any longer. She tucked the boots neatly underneath her arm and headed out the door, followed by an older woman carrying a large sack of items. The alarm instantly went off, yet the cashier asked to see the other woman's bag and not Faye's. It was then that Faye knew these boots were something else. She couldn't count the number of times that they saved her from getting shot, raped, or, go figure, mugged. And now; now they were gone. Her lucky boots would never save her sensitive toes from the mud. Nor would they be able to kick Spike's butt out of her room when needed.

"Jet....tell the lunkhead to stop his bitching." She knew it would strike a nerve but she didn't really care.

"Bitching?!" Spike's voice rang out in the hollow room.

"Now Faye, that's not fair." The bounty huntress finally sat up and stretched, noticing that the boys had given her some kind of pain killer.

"Jet, men are like roses. That by which we call him by any other name is still associated with a prick. Simple as that." She snapped her fingers after each word to emphasize her point. She would not just forgive and forget when it was the jerk next to her that had gotten her shoes stolen. Jet sighed and let his shoulders slouch as he made his way into the kitchen to make dinner. Tonight, much to Faye's objection, they would be having bell peppers and beef – excluding the beef. But the temptress, however, felt no hunger. Just a raw and carnal craving for a credit card.

She was stationed to the couch that night after she almost fell from the sudden movement of standing up on her own. Spike thought that Faye was more than capable of walking to her bedroom, but Jet's persistent fatherly nagging caused both to shut their mouths.

Faye tossed and turned at the sound of Jet's upset stomach, which, surprise surprise, was caused by his 'special diner'. Half of her felt bad for the ex cop but the other half mentally patted Faye on the back. She would not get suckered twice in the same day. Poetic justice it was. She sat up slowly, her bangs working free of her infamous hairband. In all honesty, she hated the thing. But it played a huge part in her accuracy for aim. How could she shoot with hair in her face? Two neatly painted feet poked out of the blanket from her bed and slowly tiptoed over to where Jet lay snoring on the opposite couch. The floor was unbearably cold and Faye soon found herself wishing for her precious boots. But ah, what was this? Laying neatly beside the balding man, was a pair of work boots that he sported so often. They were huge, Faye would admit this, but it was better than bare feet on a freezing metal floor. She carefully slipped into them, throwing the blanket around her shoulders and proceeding to the control room for a little self time.

Jet's clunky boots made a small flop sound everytime she took a step and she silently thanked what ever force that kept the others from hearing her tiny adventure to the control room. It wasn't like she was in desperate need of attention or help. She just needed a nicotine break. It wasn't her fault that she was addicted to the damn paper sticks.

"Jet, what are you doing up this late?" Spike's voice alerted Faye that she was no longer alone. But why did he call her Jet?

"Excuse me?" She watched Spike light up a cigarette and repeat his question.

"I said, what are you doing up this late? Jeez you geezer. Getting deaf in your old age as well?" Faye quirked an eyebrow and extended a hand out to slap the crud out of him, when she suddenly caught hold of just what Spike was talking about. In front of her was a mechanical arm; an arm that belonged to the man who ran this hunk of junk he liked to call the 'Bebop'. She held the arm up in front of her face, wondering just what the hell was going on.

"Spike....look at me. What....who do you see?" The bounty hunter gazed into her eyes intuitively and grinned.

"I see a guy who needs to get laid before age catches up with him." He leaned back on his heels as Faye let out a horrific scream and ran towards the bathroom. She slammed the door shut behind and stared at the mirror before her. Sure enough, the emerald eyes and violet hair that once graced her face were now replaced by a bald head and scruffy facial hair. The beard alone was enough to drive her over the edge. She rubbed at her new set of eyes, not believing was clear before her. She was...Jet. The man who ceased to learn how to cook properly. The man who had refused her presence aboard the Bebop but let her stay anyway. The fact that she was a man period was astounding.

"Breathe Faye. Just breathe. This is all some weird, creepy, disturbing dream that you are about to wake up from." She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to force herself awake from the terrible nightmare. "Dammit! Wake up!!" She pulled her useful arm to her chest and pinched it with the metal one. It hurt like hell, but it didn't wake her up.

"Jet, what's going on in there. I thought that little dramatic exit of yours would wake up the entire ship. You're lucky Faye didn't wake up. You'd have your head bitten off by now. "Faye jerked her head to the muffled voice of Spike and threw open the door.

"Where am I..I mean...where is Faye?" Spike nodded towards the living area, a look of bewilderment pasted on his features. Faye ran at full speed towards the room she had left just minutes before to take a smoking break. But sure enough, there was her body, sleeping soundly to the rhythm of the ceiling fan. Faye's entire body became numb and she felt herself dropping to the floor and into the blackness the awaited on Jet. Wake up. If the chief finds out that your sleeping on shift, you won't get another shot at MsDaniel." Faye squinted her eyes open, only to find a strange man leaning over her. The dream wasn't over. People were still calling her Jet. Only this time, there was no Spike or any other familiar faces. When her vision finally reached full potential, she scanned her surroundings. In front of her was a maple desk, covered in numerous papers and writing utensils. Two filing cabinets and a large plant were the only other pieces of furniture besides the creaky chair that Faye had been snoozing on. The man in front of her was decorated with a dress shirt and pants, finishing off the look with a red tie and fedora. As Faye glanced down, she noticed that she was in the same garb, the only difference being that she or actually Jet, had a blue tie and two real arms. No metal could be sighted anywhere. Faye reluctantly pulled the man off his chair and followed the other man out the door.

"He was spotted outside the Covington Warehouse on Broadway. I think our best chance would be to go around from the back and surprise him." These were the words spoken as the two men pulled away from the police station in a sleek black automobile.

"We should really call for backup if we spot him." The words seemed to spill out of Faye's mouth. The two cops paused in front of a grungy looking building, guarded by a couple of shady hoodlums.

"We can handle this Jet. Besides, you have experience in this kind of work." The man gave a reassuring smile and patted his partner's shoulder. Faye couldn't shake the feeling of looming danger and felt that it was best to go with her comrade's gut feeling on this. But the man's smile was enough to force and the body she occupied out the door.

Entrance was easy , almost too easy. Immediately, Jet's hands were around the gun he carried in his holster. Faye watched the skinnier man disappear in the darkness, leaving Faye and Jet's body alone in a place that reeked with danger. And sure enough, Jet's instincts were answered when a blast of power from behind knocked Jet's body to the ground.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the infamous Jet Black. You've been quite the troublemaker around here lately." The man, whom Faye could only guess was McDaniel, switched his attention to the men towering over Jet's form. "Kill him."

He was taken to a giant machine that pressed license plates for monoracers and placed underneath a huge metal orb. The other men left Jet handcuffed to the pressing plate and in the distance, Faye could make out the kind voice of Jet's partner laughing with the men who had handcuffed him. It was a set up. And Jet had fallen for it. Faye watched in Jet's mind helplessly as he broke on arm free of the handcuffs, leaving the other to the mercy of the pressing plate. She didn't know how he survived such pain. To be alive while a two ton pressing plate crushed every bone and pulverizing every muscle was unbelievable. And to Faye's horror, it wasn't the only pain taking place. The steam and sparks from the impact caused parts of her compatriot's flesh to melt from his face. And it was all because Jet had trusted the wrong man. Inside, Faye couldn't take it anymore. She wept for her fatherly figure.


	3. Don't Walk All Over Me

Warning to all those who wanted major fluff. Well, you'll get a tid bit of fluff but alot of sadness as well. This is by no means a happy chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own Cowboy Bebop or the song I used the title for.

**Walk In There Shoes: Don't Walk All Over Me**

It was strange. In one moment, she had been mourning for the loss of a great man's spirit, and in the next, she was being shoved lightly in a lazy attempt to wake her up. She had guessed right off the bat that it was Spike, not that she particularly minded for even though she would never admit it, his rough and laid back appearance was comforting to her. Knowing Spike Spiegel was on your side, whether he said was or not, was knowing that you would be taken care of. You wouldn't be shot when on a bounty with him and you wouldn't die either. Faye sat up, gasping for air. In front of her, on the edge of the couch, sat a calm but worried Spike. Across from him was a sleeping Jet, his feet propped up on the coffee table and his shoes thrown to the side of the couch. His shoes....

Faye studied her own feet and wiggled her toes to make sure that it was reality and not another dream. And then she turned her attention to the dazed whom was transfixed on the curls of his cigarette smoke. His head was rested upon his palms and the stare he had managed to penetrate Faye's bones.

"It was so weird, Faye. He was smoking and I mentioned that you were in here, and he freaked. Almost like another person was inside him, like he wasn't actually Jet." Faye thought he was talking to himself at first but realized just how close he was and could easily feel a body jolt up in fear. "Then he saw you and fainted. Just like that. In the middle of the floor." She swiped a hand through her violet hair and rubbed at her shoulders. It couldn't be. It HAD to have been a dream. Spike stood and walked over to the former cop, squashing his cigarette into the metal floor. "I'm going to take him to the hospital. Just to make sure." She nodded uncertainly, remembering every detail of the images she witnessed just minutes before. Silently, she watched her companion lift Jet over his shoulder and saunter out of the ship.

* * *

The next few hours were a blur for her. She had coaxed herself into taking a shower and was putting the final touches on her makeup when Spike's voice shook her with an unknown anxiety.

"Faye, you there?" His voice was urgent but relaxed.

"How is he?" She wouldn't allow herself to be seen over the screen quite yet. She wasn't sure if she wanted Spike to see her vulnerable side this early into knowing him.

"He can't remember a thing of what happened but he'll be fine. He's already found a bounty for you." Faye finally appeared in front of the communicator and quirked an inquiring eyebrow. She smalled her fist against the metal wall.

"What?! That's not fair! I went last time and I think we all recall what happened then. This ridiculous!!"

"Faye..."

"I mean sure, i could understand if I hadn't been pulling my weight but I could've been killed! Dammit! You men just never think!"

"Faye..."

"Argh! I swear, the things I do for you guys and what do I get in return? No-"

"The guy works at the Blue Crow." Faye's skin turned an icy white. An uncomfortable sigh was heard on the other end. "I'll meet you there in an hour."

* * *

The Blue Crow. Faye had walked in there not too long ago looking for a drink and finding an unimaginable friendship. The music that leaked from his fingers was deaf poetry. You didn't have to hear the music to feel the sadness and the desperate need for a companion. And he hadn't come right out and said it either. It just sort of happened between them. Gren. Oh how different he was. But it was the differences that had drawn Faye in. And in the few hours they had talked, they had gained a lifetime's worth of friendship. And now, as she stood in front of the bar, she couldn't help but shudder and try to warm herself in the dim blue haze of the neon lights that graced the building.

Inside, Faye had warmed up a bit. Not from the heater, but at the fact that she had shared a first meeting with Gren in this area. Gods, how she missed him. There were nights that she couldn't stand to be around Jet or Spike and desperately yearned to run away to Jupiter for a mere hour or so, just so that she could calm down in the comfort of Gren's spirited gaze. She walked down to the same barstool that she had sat in the night that he had talked to her. The bartender gave her a quick glimpse and bent down to retrieve something.

"I'll have a vodka on the rocks." However ,her request was unfulfilled and she was met with a pair of bronze keys that looked as if they hadn't been used in awhile.

"Are you the Valentine woman?" His smokey voice was hard but respectful at the same time.

"Yeah..."

"Gren told me to give these to you if you ever returned. And then the bastard went off and died." Faye's slender fingers wrapped around the pieces of metal and she found herself in a state of awe.

* * *

It was just like how she had remembered it : brown couch, pictures posted all over his walls, and a long trenchcoat hung over a rusted furnace. She traced her fingers over the folds of the coat, and could even pick up the light sent of smoke, brandy, and cologne. Who would've thought that he had worn cologne. She walked a bit further down the apartment until her hand danced over the idea of turning the doorknob of his bedroom. The same room that he locked her up in so that she wouldn't interfere with what he needed to do. The room was as cold as the rest of his abode. Faye shook her head in frustration. It wasn't supposed to feel like this. Gren wasn't a cold person, so why was this place so cold? All the warmth had left with him, that was why.

"Faye?" She glanced back over her shoulder to see a quiet Spike peering into the doorway. She didn't know what came over her, but as soon as the cowboy reached her, she fell into his arms, sobbing like a hurt child. Surprisingly enough, Spike didn't fight her off. Instead, he wrapped his arms around her shoulders and gave her a comforting hug.

"It wasn't cold in here when I left. It was warm. And then he died..."

"Who? Gren?" She nodded into his jacket and lifted herself from his chest. "I'll leave you alone for a minute, to think, ya know? I'll go check out that bounty." Half of Faye couldn't believe that he was being so nice, the other half was thankful for it. She watched him slip out of the door and she turned back towards the bedroom door, her eyes drifting to the pair of shoes placed neatly at the end of the bed. It was a silly idea, to believe that the gypsy was indeed correct. But curiosity was getting the best of her senses. She sat down on the end of the mattress, a slight cloud of dust jumping from the impact. There was an ironic rain pouring over Faye's senses as she began to wiggle out of her backup boots. She was so close to coming in contact with the faces in the photos, the smiles and the poses. So close...

* * *

BANG!!! Faye's eyes searched the apartment in a wild attempt to seize that incredible boom of noise. The front door was wide open, revealing a charming bounty hunter falling freely to the ground while shooting off his Jericho at a dark man plastered with even darker clothing. Faye took a step back, her foot tripping over the heel of one of the answers to her many riddles. She gazed at the footwear before another shot rang through the room and shook the walls. A small grunt was followed and Faye had to bite her lip to keep from yelling out loud. Taking one more glimpse of the shoes, she raced out the front door to the aid of her comrade.

* * *

Blood. The same material that shows life is also what implies death. And death was the first thing that ran through her mind as she reached a fallen cowboy gripping his side and gasping for a breath that wasn't coming without struggle.

"Dammit, Spike", she sighed as she tore a piece of cloth from her coat and pressed it against his rib cage. "You really know how to get yourself killed don't you?" A bewitching smirk spread across his features, laced with only a bit of pain.

"I've been in worse situations...can't think of any right now but..." Faye quirked an eyebrow but couldn't help but smile also. It was the worst of times that Spike was able to make the best of.

"Shut up already. I'm guessing that the bounty got away?" Spike's simper was stuck on his face and she felt compelled to slap it off in one quick gesture. But she got quite the surprise when his bloody hand reached for her wrist and when she looked up to meet his mismatched eyes, there was no more laughter twinkling in the chocolate orbs. Instead of the irresistible smile lay a sadness, almost regret, leaking from his face.

"Did you get what you needed out of there?" He motioned towards Gren's apartment, but Faye couldn't understand what he meant. There was nothing that neither needed nor wanted from the abode. Spike must have senses her uneasy questioning, for he shook it off and pulled himself up with the help of Faye for support. "Forget it. Let's get this battered homebody to Jet."

* * *

It cost them an hour to load Spike into the Swordfish without injuring him even further. She made sure that he was comfortable before bringing down the door to the hatch. Before she was even able to secure the lock, she heard the soft, sarcastic mumbling of Spike through the thick glass. Faye couldn't tell if it was the blood loss or his odd sense of humor speaking, but one thing was for certain – it was a try at conversation with her.

"Expect the lecture of a lifetime when we get back." Faye paused and searched the hidden face of her compatriot.

"He's just looking out for our safety." She took a longing glance at her own ship and locked the hatch securely. "I'll call Jet to send out a signal for your piece of junk, but I...I have to go find someone."


	4. Walk This Way

I've been saying this for all my updates: I'm sorry updates take so long but with school/personal priorities, I can't find time every single day to update. I will try to gt them done faster but only time can tell.

Disclaimer: I do not own Cowboy Bebop. Nor do I own Aerosmith's 'Walk This Way'.

**Walk In Their Shoes: Walk This Way**

She hadn't told a soul where she planned on going, and she didn't want to. It was her business and her business alone. And it wasn't as if she didn't want to tell someone of the strange out of body experience she had with Jet. She just feared that the someone she told would look at her then laugh in her face. And Faye didn't do well with embarassment. So, like any other woman who would rather keep a secret than tell the entire world that she thinks she's crazy, she set out to find the person who had started it all: Madame Zupotti.

It was all the same, the small street that held little or no people, the dusty old shop that carried the gypsy, but no Madame Zupotti. All the scarves, all the exotic smells- gone. It was as if the someone had taken it all away, along with the mysterious woman. The floorboards creaked underneath Faye's feet and she quietly wandered around the ancient store in hopes that there was some type of evidence that could be used as a lead for what happened to Madame Zupotti.

"You lookin' for someone?" Finally, a person on the same page as Faye! She whirled around to meet and young man in a pin stripe suit, complete with a red tie. Faye looked him over nervously and after a short mental debate, saw no harm in talking to him.

"Yes, actually. I'm looking for the former owner of this store. Dark hair, a bit of an attitude..."

"Overpays?"

"Yes!" Faye's cheeks reddened at her sudden outburst. The man tugged at his tie to loosen it up a bit.

"Morlana Zupotti. She should be around here somewhere. I'm her lawyer. It seems that the husband she ran away from is calling in the community property law in their divorce. All the items inside went to her, which now rest in a storage place somewhere and the store...well...the store went to Mr. Zupotti. Let me guess, she gave you a love potion and it didn't work? I'll go to my car and get the proper forms for you to fill out." Faye had to literally pinch herself to make sure all that was being said wasn't another dream. She stopped the lawyer just as he headed for the door.

"No! There was no love potion." She was almost insulted that he would think she would need one. Then again..."I needed to consult her on something she said to me a couple of days ago." The lawyer nodded and pointed to the bar across the street. Funny, but Faye could've used a place like that the day all this crap began. In three swift motions, Faye was inside the bar, the alcoholic odors wafting through the air. And in the middle of the room, smoking a cigarette and cursing at the female bartender, was Madame Zupotti herself, sipping on a brandy. Faye walked meekly over to the Romany, a smug look resting upon her features.

"Who are you? Armando's little street whore? Take him! I don't want him!" The small glass tilted in her hand as she threw the liquid around in her glass. Faye was disappointed. She expected a mysterious woman laughing at the fact that she wasn't beaten, just merely interrupted. But the woman before her seemed desolate and unwanted.

"I don't know who Armando is, but i'm guessing he's your husband. You don't remember me, do you?" The bounty hunter pulled up a chair beside the woman and reste her arms against the hard wood of the table. Madame Zupotti's eyes narrowed into thin slits of chestnut followed by a egotistical smirk.

"You have to forgive Madame Zupotti. I never forget a face, unless it is shadowed by liquor. What is it that you seek, Ms. Valentine?" Faye held back a smartass comment and settled in to talk about the odd situation that fallen on Faye.

"Well, if you remember correctly, you read my fortune. You had everything right, almost, but at the end you said that I will never be able to break into their hearts if I am not able to walk in their shoes." The gypsy leaned back and took a drag of her nicotine stick.

"Yeah? So? Look at my line of work, kid. It's my job to say creepy things. It keeps you on your feet." Faye shook her head.

"No. You don't understand. I went home, put my crewmates shoes on, and I suddenly fell into his memories. I WAS Jet!!' Madame Zupotti stared blankly at Faye, a giant 'O' forming on her mouth.

"By George, it worked..." Faye leaned in a few more inches to get a better listen.

"What was that?" The gypsy waved her hands about the air and laughed it off.

"So what are you complaining for?! You get to see into these people's lives, know their deepest, most hidden secrets! Be thankful for that gift!" Faye slammed her fists against the wood, sending tiny splinters into the air and one into her thumb. She ignored the tiny wound and continued on with her rampage.

"But I don't want it!!" The Romany simply glared at the vixen and gave a flick of the wrist.

"Too bad." A low growl was emitted from the woman sitting in front of her. "What do you want? I can't take it back. You can't take back a spell!! If that was the case then Sleeping Beauty would have never gotten laid!! And Cinderella would acutally have to PAY for dating services! Besides, you get to know your comrades better! Deal with it." Another dangerous rumble. "Alright. I'll tell you what, if you go along with my spell, I will give you a free tarot reading." Faye folded her arms over her chest and nodded, although she thought deal was a bit sour. Madame Zupotti grinned and pulled out a deck of cards, each one marked with a different picture. Some were beautiful, with intricate drawings of woman and lovers and peaceful scenes of serenity. Others, however, were dark and covered in images of murder and violence. Faye prayed she wouldn't pick any of those. "Okay! I shuffle three times and then you shuffle three times and cut the deck." Both women followed the directions and the Romany flexed her fingers as Faye seperated the deck of cards.

The first card the gypsy put down was a woman in a white dress, blindfolded and holding up a pair of swords. Behind her was a relaxing ocean bearing witness to odd appearance.

"This is what you are...the two of swords. It signifies conformity, courage, friendship, concord in a state of arms, affection and intamacy." Faye had to force herself to stay glued to the chair. Conformity? Yeah right! Madame Zupotti continued and placed a card over it. It was graced with a woman in flowers closing the mouth of a lion.

"This is what surrounds you - Strength. It signifies power, energy, action, courage, and magnamity. Quite the exciting life you lead, Faye." The violet haired beauty simply quirked an eyebrow. She was interested, but wouldn't admit it as of yet. Another card was placed over the two previous cards. This one wasn't as pretty or intruiging as the other two. It was dark and marked with a malicious portrait of the devil himself with two demons below him and at his mercy. "The Devil. This is your obstacle. It signifies ravage, violence, vehemence, extraordinary efforts, force, fatality. It is not predestined but is not evil as well." Just her luck. Of course Faye would get something like the Devil card. What was next, death iteself? The next card was placed above the small stack.

"This is the best you can arrive at and what you want but do not presently have. It is the two of cups and it signifies love, passion, friendship, union, sympathy, interrelation of the sexes, and desire, which is not in nature but by which nature is sanctified. Hmm...Spike Spiegel is looking pretty good to you?"

"This is stupid." Faye stood to leave but was quickly pulled back down by the Romany.

"Do not play around with the Tarot. It is simple but true." The gypsy flipped another card and placed it underneath the stack. The picture laying on it was of a woman crying in her bed beneath nine swords. And how was this better than the devil?

"This is the nine of swords. This is your past. It signifies death, failure, delay, deception, disappointment, and despair." Well she got that part right. Yet another card was placed to the right. This one had a picture of a heart pierced by three swords. "This is the three of swords. It signifies what is coming - removal, absence, delay, division." Another card was placed opposite of the swords. It was more graphic than the others, depicting a nude woman surrounded by a lion, an eagle, a ram, and a man and was laid upsidedown. "This is the World. It signifies what is beneath you - inertia, fixity, stagnation, and permanence."

Finally, four more cards were placed to the right of the cross formed by the cards. The first one was an empress reversed. "This is the empress. She signifies your attitude - fruitfullness, action, ignorance, the unknown, difficulty and doubt." The second was flipped. It was that of a man hanging from a tree. "This is the hanged man. He signifies what is around you - wisdom, intuition, divination, prophecy." The second to last card was flipped, revealing a queen surrounded by sticks. "This is the Queen of Wands. She signifies your hopes and fears - friendly, chaste, loving, and honorable." And the last card. It was reeked of good luck. "The last card. The Wheel of Fortune. It signifies what will come- destiny,fortune, success, luck, and happiness." Faye stood up from the table, stretching her limbs.

"That's great and all but I am a little too old for all this." She gave a soft wave goodbye and headed for the door.

"Faye! I fear your Devil card! Something is about to happen! I know it!" With the shake of her hips, Faye was out of the bar, barely giving a second thought to the warning.

She should have, however, listened. For three huge men plucked her right off the street and slammed her thin frame into the back of a vehicle. And to think, she was too old for Tarot readings.

Special thanks to my friend for helping me find Faye's perfect spread!!


End file.
